Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal. This step ensures your bars won't stick and will be a breeze to cut.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of this mixture for the crumble topping and set it aside.2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 1 cup unsalted butter
- Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base crust for your Easy Cherry Pie Bars. Ensure it's packed down firmly to create a solid foundation.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the undrained tart red cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine.2 (15-ounce) cans tart red cherries, 0.75 cup granulated sugar, 0.25 cup cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil. This usually takes about 5-8 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in the almond extract. The filling should be glossy and have a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.1 teaspoon almond extract
- Pour the thickened cherry filling evenly over the pressed crust in the baking pan, spreading it out to cover the entire surface.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the cherry filling. If you like an extra sweet and crunchy topping, you can sprinkle a little extra granulated sugar over the crumble before baking.A sprinkle of extra sugar
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbly around the edges.
- It is crucial to let the Easy Cherry Pie Bars cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. This allows the filling to set properly, preventing a messy, gooey outcome. This step can take a couple of hours.
- Once completely cooled, cut the bars into your desired serving sizes. Serve them plain or with your favorite toppings like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.Vanilla ice cream, Whipped cream
Notes
For optimal freshness, allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before storing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or toaster oven. Freeze individual portions wrapped tightly for up to 2-3 months.
